Gas station limits credit card purchase to $50

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( recently had a different take on that. Stopped at 10pm to get fuel and the clerk refused to take my 2 $100.00 bills. because they aren't allowed to keep more than $50.00 in the cash drawer )</font>

I got a funny one similar to that. I went to the gas station next to our office.. was fueling my truck and tractor and cans. I walked in and handed them a 100 and asked for the pump to be turned on. manager wouldn't.. said they couldn't take 50's or 100's.. I told them I'd be using all of that 100 bill. They said still couldn't.. when I asked why.. I was flabergasted. They have a bill drop for large bills and only keep about 20$ in change inthe drawer.. as it was explained to me.. so couldn't make change for anything over 20.. to which i explained again.. I wouldn't be getting any change... Both the clerk and the manager sat their like a rock for a minute while it slowly sank in.. Eventually I got my fuel and left.. but man o man... gotta wonder what the hireing requirements are for some of these places.

A few months back i had walke dinto that store and asked where the pesticide was? Got a blank stare.. rephrased as insecticide?.. more blank stare.. then finally said bug spray... to which a spark of life stirred and they grunted and pointed over at an isle... And yes... this was an english speaking cleark... I might have 'understood' if english were their second language.. etc..

Soundguy

 

[LBrown59]

NO PROBLEM
Wait till you go to pay for a 75 dollar purchase and they decline your check and you have nother way to pay.

<font color="red"> That's when things get interesting! </font>

 

[George2615]

Just filled up today. I previously posted re: a station that lost my business a couple months ago due to making you prepay cash or $50 card limit. Well, the last station in my area also changed its policy. With the prices going up and up they've have too many drive offs. Even with cameras on the pumps they don't want the hassle of going to court to get payment. So, if paying cash you must prepay inside. They do give you a 2 cent per gallon discount by prepaying with cash. You don't get the discount using any cards though. Todays diesel price $2.889 a gal. with discount, $2.909 a gal. without. Still a rip-off.
I think everyone should stop buying any type fuel from Exxon & Mobile and buy elsewhere. If the big two are forced to lower prices to get business back maybe it would start a gas war and work toward our favor.

 

[VT_Hokie]

Don't hold your breath, oil is trading at $70+ for May delivery, same as last Sept. and refined gas reserves are marginal. Hate to say it, but you better filler up now...

 

[chanceu]

Pre-authorization is the key point...with pay-at-the-pump they want to make sure you can pay for the gas before you put it in the tank. Might be a little hard to get the gas back if the card is declined. Usually, the amount of pre-authorization depends on the type of card. A personal credit card (which usually means an "average" size fuel tank) is authorized $35-$50 (more like $75-$100 over the past few weeks) and a fleet credit card (which usually means a large fuel tank) is authorized for more.

Since a set amount has been authorized, the dispenser stops when you reach that amount. It's cheaper for the station to deal with a few customers who reach this limit than it is to try to deal with changing the pre-authorized amount for those few customers.

 

[orangebluegreen]

In Florida before last years hurricane Wilma hit I went down a few days before to fill my motorhome (two 45 gallon tanks). I use the generator to power the house after the electric goes out. After sitting in line for a half hour the pump shuts off at $100. (think we were around $2.85 or so then) and it won’t re-swipe, says “see attendant”. With a line going out the stations drive onto the street and people growing short tempered, I wasn’t going to stop everything and go in, figured I would drive down the road a few miles to the next station. I get to that station and they’re out of fuel, so I’m screwed for the hurricane and plan to make do with what I got. Hurricane hits, power goes out, no way to know for how long, so without full tanks I limit my gen run time. The local media tries to paint a picture of 1-2 weeks. We’re back on in 3-4? days and I could have left it running, but without what I MIGHT have needed I didn’t. They were also trying to stop hording, people were filling their tanks when only down a few gallons because of gas shortages after the hurricanes and no electric to pump. Earlier this year it stopped at $75 and wouldn’t re-swipe. I noticed now they ask for your pin number on debit, so maybe that will help. I hate having 90 gallons of gas sitting going bad, but this year I probably will. I’ve put a tap in the fuel line so I can fill gas cans for lawn mower off the MH. Propane generator is probably the way to go, it stores without going bad or rusting inside the tank.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just noticed a new twist when buying fuel with a credit card.

The limits have been raised to $74... although there are still a few that have $20 limits... yes, that's $20.

The new twist is a credit card here can only be used once in 24 hours at the same station... so when I'm filling the 34 Gallon Tank in my Chevy Truck @ $3.29 a gallon I can buy about 22 gallons of fuel in one 24 hour period at the same station.

Until a few weeks ago, I would re-swipe the card and continue filling... can't do this anymore at any of my usual local name brand stations... one swipe in 24 hours is what I've been told due to the high occurrences of fraud and stolen cards...

Funny thing is, I used my same credit cards to buy fuel this year when I was working in Germany @ nearly $7.00 a gallon... so a fill-up could easily run $150 and no ID or Zip Code was required for my American Credit Card.

Kind of makes me wonder why in California using a Visa of MasterCard is harder than in Europe?

Is this just a CA thing or have others experienced the same thing in other states?

 

[Cat_Driver]

Don't you guys carry more than one credit card?

So many of you say you can't re-swipe in 24 hours, why don't you just use another card, I do problem solved.

 

[ultrarunner]

Don't you guys carry more than one credit card?

So many of you say you can't re-swipe in 24 hours, why don't you just use another card, I do problem solved.

I carry several... only one is for business expenses.

I imagine a family with a couple of vehicles could well have to resort to cash... Sunday mornings I used to fill up all the family cars... I would need several cards if I tried to do that today... I would need two just to fuel my truck and then I would need another two to fuel my D3 and so on... not to mention topping off my brothers ski boat when we go out for the day.

I'd write a check... but checks are not accepted...

I'd pay cash... but that's only OK if the bills are $20 or smaller.

Never thought I would have to plan my fuel purchases... guess it's just a sign of the times?

 

[Bedlam]

I can understand the once in 24 hours limit on some places like here there is a 24 hour station that closes at 9 pm but the pumps continue on.
So I would think that the limit in this case would prevent people from getting away with allot of theft. but then they probably have a trunk full of cards.
But otherwise dont make much sence.